I have in my hot little hands a poster set that includes the cover of Darkship Thieves — thusly

— and the cover of Darkship Renegades (coming out December 2012.)

Speak up and be counted, and tell me why you deserve the posters of coolness. I’ll even sign them for you, BRAVELY risking carpal tunnel syndrome on your behalf.
But… what do I do to win them, you say? Easy. Participate in a free form discussion here. Suggested topics: How is the Avengers Movie Human Wave? What is the proper use of cliches in books? (There is one) and, of course, Has Sarah lost her mind? (Yes, but is it behind the sofa cushions?)

We shall select the most amusing, interesting or fun rep… Oh, what the heck, we’ll put the names in a hat and draw one. Now fire at will.

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15 responses to “Super Duper Contest”

Not enough sleep last night, and not enough coffee this morning. I feel like my mind is visiting yours behind the cushions, and I can’t come up with anything amusing or interesting to say. But you can throw my name in the hat anyways if you want. (call it charity ;) )

Ooh. Awesome cover set! Sarah has not lost her mind. It decamped with mine to a tropical island somewhere with hawt waiters (male, natch), those drinks with the little umbrellas, and hawt male secretaries to take dictation while The Writer lounges in comfort.

Avengers is human wave because the essential premise is that profoundly flawed individuals will save the world because the world needs to be saved… and they will do it again when the world needs it again.

On the surface it’s a “learn to work as a team” plot. The surface is wrong.

None of them have a particular problem working with others, not even Tony Stark. But Banner tried to kill himself on account of he’s a monster, and everyone is genuinely afraid of the Hulk. Thor is halfway on Loki’s side, as far as loyalties go. Nick Fury is a lying, manipulative sack of sh*t. Black Widow and Hawkeye have blood on their hands and no way to pay for it. Even Steve Rogers is burning with internal anger. Isn’t he the one who asks Banner how he does it? This is because he wants to know.

Banner’s statement in answer to that is pretty much the theme statement of the movie, he’s *always* angry.

And that’s what makes it human wave.

Each of them, individually, does what is necessary *because* it is necessary, and not because they’ve done something as lame as “bonded as a team” or come to some emotional goal point after growth and self-reflection where they realize the true values and become better people.

Not even Stark. He does what he does because it’s necessary and he must.

Now, there are other things, other moments that are human wave moments in the Avengers, and they win in the end, which is important for human wave, and there are a couple of outright statements, such as the end when the one alien monster dude tells the other that attacking Earth is a great way to be destroyed, and the outright statements from Loki about being saved from freedom and a good bit about of *course* Fury is developing weapons and it’s a *good* thing, and Fury refusing to follow the shadowy council and that man standing up in the crowd when it became something more than “cooperate with the crazy person” until this is over and refusing to be intimidated by “gods”. And they won.

And I suppose, since the basic structure of the movie is human wave, those details are inevitable, but they aren’t what *make* it human wave.

There are several proper uses of cliche in writing. One is as a form of shorthand for minor figures or elements, in order to communicate information to the reader quickly so as to leave room for other more important matters: the infamous red-shirted ensign in Star Trek, for example. Another use would be to establish a foundation that readers can stand on when things get strange. For a space opera-type example: an alien “rides into town” just looking for a little quiet time, perhaps with something to sell, perhaps just trying to get away from its problems for a while. OK, here’s the western cliche setting up that the aline is probably going to be the good guy/ savior/ unwilling avenger, especially if it is trying to keep a low profile when the bullies/ villain appear. So yes, it is an alien and yes, it acts strange, but readers know that it will be the hero, because that’s the cliche.

Or you use the cliche to set an expectation that you then tip over or modify. Say you create a sultry, dark-haired “fallen woman” character, leading readers to assume that they are reading about either a “hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold” or the experienced “woman-of-the-world” who will become someone’s wise yet shadowy mistress. What readers then learn is that she is not human, exactly, but is a humanoid from a species where coloration is the phenotype for sexual preference and behavior. Which then opens up all sorts of possible worm cans, depending on how other characters react to this discovery.